Anywhere But Here
by wynnie the pooh
Summary: In Westerville, Ohio, being gay in high school is a difficult thing. Making and keeping friends, learning to survive in a place where you're not wanted. Life was hard to Blaine Anderson. This is his story.
1. Part One: A Desolate Beginning

_**Part One: A Desolate Beginning**_

_Ah me! How hard a thing it is to say  
><em>_What was this forest savage, rough, and stern  
><em>_Which in the very thought renews the fear._

-Dante's _Inferno_


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! So I was curious about Blaine's past before he arrived at Dalton and what Dalton was like for him without Kurt there, and that's how this little (well, maybe not that little) thing came about. I hope for it to be between 15 and 20 chapters long, but who knows? I'm horrible at guessing that kind of stuff. I have it sort of planned out in my head though, so hopefully it won't be too shocking! ;D This is chapter one, and I hope it all makes sense :)**

**And thank you so very much to flossticle for checking this over for me! **

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><p><strong>One<strong>

'Fag.'

Blaine Anderson stopped in his tracks, holding his breath, waiting for the fist to collide. It didn't, and he opened his eyes a fraction, looking behind him at the retreating figure of the senior who had muttered the word. He took a deep breath and continued walking, lifting his bag higher onto his shoulder as he reached his locker.

'Hey, Blaine!' a voice called out and he turned around slowly, shaking his head lightly to move a too-long curl away from his eye. One of the girls from his French class was stepping up to him, holding a sheet of paper. 'You forgot your homework this morning. I've been trying to catch up to you all day, but whenever I spot you I turn around and you're gone again! Do you ever stay in the one spot?' She was grinning, holding out the paper. He took it with a shaking hand.

'No,' he whispered. He turned from her, placing the sheet along with his Calculus books into his locker and withdrew a brown paper bag.

'Oh, you pack your own lunch? So do I. My mum thinks the cafeteria food is way to unhealthy. Health food addict, you know?' No, he didn't, he felt like saying. 'Where do you eat? I never see you in the quad.'

'Um,' he mumbled. 'Behindthelibrary.'

'What was that?'

He raised his eyes slowly to lock with hers. They were bright and kind and they looked straight through him, as if she could tell every secret of his heart, even the ones he kept as buried as he possibly could. 'Behind the library,' he said again, slower this time.

'Oh?' she asked. 'Do many people sit behind there?'

Blaine shook his head.

'Is it quiet? My best friend just got a boyfriend last week, and all they ever do is talk flirty with each other. It's nauseating! Would you mind if I sat with you?' she asked, her smile hopeful.

He shook his head softly. Never in his high school career had someone asked to sit with him. Not since middle school. Not since the rumors had started going around. 'I don't mind,' he whispered.

And the girl smiled, waiting for him to lead the way as he shut his locker.

* * *

><p>'And then my sister is, like, this massive bitch who only cares about her hair and her nails. We used to get along so well, but then she went to high school and I was still in middle school... and she just changed. She wasn't my sister anymore. She thought she was so much better than me, and we just fell apart. Anyway, just this year to go and she's out of here. She told me "I wanna get out of Ohio, Kathryn, and you should too. This place is a dump." I don't care though.' She grinned, a wide smile that seemed to split her face in two. 'So, how's your family?'<p>

Blaine shrugged, taking a cautious bite of his apple. One thing he liked about Kathryn was that she was easy to talk to. Meaning, she ruled the conversation, and was happy if Blaine only gave one word replies. The only tense moments were the ones like these, when she turned the tables onto him and wanted to learn more about him. He wasn't used to people wanting to learn about him.

'Come on, you must have a story to tell!' she laughed. 'Families are all about picking on each other! Do you have any brothers, sisters?'

He bit his lip, playing with the skin there. 'Do you know Charles Anderson? Chaz?'

'The senior? The one that's dating the head cheerleader?'

'Yeah.' Blaine bit his lip again. 'Well, he's my older brother.'

'Really?' Kathryn's surprise was expected. Chaz didn't talk about Blaine, and Blaine sure didn't talk about Chaz. Blaine didn't talk about much at all.

'Yeah. And my parents always are like "be like Chaz, Blaine. Why aren't you like Chaz, Blaine". It's kind of irritating.'

'That _so _would be!' Kathryn said, resting a hand against Blaine's arm in what he assumed was supposed to be support. It sent a shiver up his spine and he flinched away from her touch.

_People don't touch me. People don't _like _to touch me._

'What is it?' she asked him, looking behind her, searching for the source of his reaction.

'Nothing,' he said quickly, shaking his head. 'It's nothing, I just-' He bit his lip again. 'It doesn't matter.'

Kathryn looked as if she was about to say something, but she only watched him as he scrunched his lunch bag into a ball and aimed it at the nearby bin before grabbing his schoolbag and standing up. 'I-' he said. 'I'll see you around.'

And he stepped away from her, walking quickly towards his next classroom. Where, hopefully, the teacher would have already arrived.

* * *

><p>Slipping out into the parking lot, Blaine kept his head down. His hand was clasped tight around the strap of his bag and his shoulders hunched over defensively. If anyone was to approach him now, he would have the best chance of getting away.<p>

His car loomed in front of him and he pressed the button on his keys to unlock it, sliding his bag into the passenger seat. He was about to climb in himself when a hand tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around quickly, raising his hands to cover his face.

'What's wrong?' a calm voice asked, and he lowered his hands, gazing into the eyes of Kathryn. Since lunchtime she'd tied her hair back and only little wisps of it fell around her face. It was a good look on her.

'Nothing,' Blaine said, leaning back against the car. 'It's nothing.' He forced his shoulders to relax and his lips to curl up in what he hoped looked like a smile.

'Do you want to go for coffee?' Kathryn asked, raising one eyebrow at him. She shot him a hopeful smile and raised the leather wallet that sat in her hand. 'I'll pay.'

Blaine shook his head, motioning towards his bag that rested on the seat beside him. 'Can't. Heaps of homework.'

'I know it for a fact that you don't have that much homework. We had a worksheet for French, which I know you'll breeze through, my friend Anna is in your AP English class, and she said that Mr Peterson didn't set you any homework today.'

'I got heaps from Algebra,' Blaine lied, gnawing his lip gently.

'No, you didn't, Blaine,' she said gently, giving him a sad smile. 'But that's okay. Here's my number. Call me if you want to chat or anything, okay?' And she passed him a small slip of paper with digits scrawled across it in her simple neat handwriting.

'Thanks,' he whispered and crushed it into his pocket. He climbed into the car, grabbing his glasses from the glove compartment and sliding his key into the ignition.

'I'll see you tomorrow, Blaine,' Kathryn said as he closed the door. Her voice was muffled through the glass window. He smiled and put his foot to the accelerating, easing out of the parking lot. She was waving as he drove away.

* * *

><p>'Blaine!' his mother called up the stairs. 'Dinner's ready! I need you to put cutlery out.'<p>

He grit his teeth, dropping the pen he'd been using to attempt his Chemistry homework. 'Coming!' He snatched his cell phone from its position on his desk and slid it into his pocket.

He was halfway down the stairs when a body collided with him, pushing him against the wall. 'Get out of the way, Blaine! I'm in a hurry.' Chaz' feet thumped up the last of the stairs and he turned left into his own room, slamming the door behind him.

'What's up with your brother?' their mom asked as Blaine slipped into the kitchen.

'I have no idea.' He reached into the top drawer beside the stove to pull out knives and forks. 'I never know anything about Chaz.'

'Why do you and Charles never talk anymore?'

Blaine shrugged, placing the cutlery on the dining table. 'Because he's an asshole.'

'That's not appropriate language, Blaine.'

'It's not appropriate for him to ignore my existence at school. To push me into lockers with the rest of his football friends.'

His mother shot him a glance, but he was angrily thumping condiments onto the table. 'What is wrong with you today, Blaine?' she asked, a worried tone to her voice.

'Nothing's wrong with me.'

She piled peas onto each of the plates in front of her and Blaine took one, settling himself against the table and beginning to eat.

'Wait for the rest of the family, please, Blaine.'

He sighed and put down his fork, crossing his arms against his chest. 'Fine.'

'Charles! John! Dinner!' There was a pounding of feet and then Chaz was at the table, taking his plate and his cutlery and turning around again. 'Where are you going?'

'To my room.' And he stormed his way back up the stairs, again slamming the door behind him. Blaine winced. He had a thing about slamming doors.

'Can I leave, too?' he whispered meekly, but his mother only shot him an irritated look.

A moment later, his father arrived, sliding into his seat at the head of the table. He picked up his napkin, laying it across his lap and without speaking began to eat. Blaine followed suit and was almost finished when his father spoke up.

'How was your day, son?'

Blaine shrugged. 'You know, average.'

'Lots of homework?'

'Lots. I really should get back to th-'

'Stay where you are, Blaine.' He held up a hand, lips pursed in a scowl. 'What's going on with you? You've been a lot less talkative lately.'

'I said that, too!' his mother said, placing a hand on her husband's thigh. 'Doesn't he look pale?'

'I'm fine, mom.'

'Maybe you're not getting enough sleep. Are you having headaches? Do I need to buy you tylenol?'

Blaine groaned, running a hand through his curls. 'I'm perfectly fine, mom. I just have a lot of homework. Miss Henders loaded us down. Please, can I have permission to leave the table?'

His mother's lips pursed in a thin, worried line, her eyes darting towards his father, but the man nodded. 'Go.'

Blaine gave a thankful nod, pushing his chair back and stepping away from the table. He carried his now empty plate to the sink and set it down, glancing at himself in the window.

He really needed a haircut, and his eyes had dark rings beneath them. There was a bruise near his collar, which he tugged his shirt up to cover. _You look horrible. _He bit his lip, leaning against the counter top. _This isn't what high school should be like._

And he stepped away from his reflection, up to his room and to the pile of homework that was really not as big as he claimed.

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><p><strong>So I hope you liked it! Please feel free to leave feedback! It is very much appreciated! Hopefully the next chapter will be up in not too long :D<strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**So, some of you may have noticed, but in this little story, I've made Blaine have longer hair and glasses. I thought he needed some kind of transformation and noticeable difference between the old him and the new him at Dalton, so for imaginings sake, I think of him like the pictures of a nerdy Darren before Glee, when his hair was still long. There's a couple of pictures with him wearing glasses, so that's kind of where my basis for this Blaine comes from. :)**

**Also, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. The next one shouldn't be too far away, but I promise (although I probably shouldn't) that it won't keep up the fast pace of new chapters for very long, because I always get distracted by some other plot bunny :P**

**And thank you again to flossticle for editing for me! :D**

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><p><strong>Two<strong>

It seemed that Blaine was doing a lot of staring at his reflection lately. He didn't know what to think. When he looked at the photos on his wall, he saw the little boy that was friends with everyone, the one who didn't care what people thought about him, was happy to chat to anyone about anything. He'd wear bright colors with his arms around the people closest to him with a grin so large it lit up the entire room.

Now, he was a social outcast. His hair had grown too long, but he kept it that way so he could hide behind it during class. His eyes seemed constantly rimmed in shadow. The bruise on his shoulder was dulling to an ugly green and he pressed at it gently, hissing as it throbbed.

'Shit.' He reached into the top drawer of his bedside table, pulling out his thick-rimmed glasses and a bottle of foundation he'd taken from his mother's bathroom the first time he'd gotten one of these bruises. The brush was starting to lose threads and the tone was too dark for his skin, but he ran the liquid over his skin anyway, rubbing it in expertly.

He'd almost completely covered the bruise and was just eyeing the stack of books he had to fit back into his bag when his phone vibrated. His hand dived to it, finding a message on the screen. No one had texted him in a long time. Not since the locker room incident.

_Kathryn. _The number came up as unknown, but he recognized her peppy attitude in the few words the message contained.

**hey blaine. my dads car broke down this morning and all my friends come into school from the other side of town. i saw you drive off yesterday and i know you headed into the east district. can you come pick me up? **

Blaine bit his lip, studying the message. He glanced at his image in the mirror, trying out what he hoped was a confident smile. It fell flat.

**sure, **he typed out. **i'll be there soon. what address?**

She replied within seconds and he shoved his phone into his bag, sliding the last of his homework in on top of it. Then he brushed his hair out of his eyes, straightened his glasses and set off down the stairs.

From the kitchen he grabbed an apple before stepping out the door. He didn't wave to his mother, although she waited at the window until he was at the end of the street. He didn't send any sign of recognition to his brother, who was climbing into his own car at the end of the driveway.

He just drove away, his hands tight on the wheel.

* * *

><p>He pulled up at the front of Kathryn's house, just outside the driveway. She was already at the door, her hair pulled up into a tight bun, with those same few wispy bits escaping out the sides. Her sundress was a light purple and it suited her dark hair.<p>

'Morning,' she said brightly, sliding into the passenger seat.

'Good morning.'

'How was your night?'

'Uneventful.'

Her eyebrows knitted together, forming an anxious line. 'I know I'm a bit pushy, Blaine, but is there something wrong?'

He bit his lip, steering them back onto the road and towards the highway. 'The first time you talked to me was yesterday, and now I'm driving you to school.' He shook his head, trying to dispel the worry that was eating through his stomach. 'Why are you interested in me, Kathryn?'

This time it was her turn to gnaw at her bottom lip, causing it to pout gently. 'You seemed like you needed a friend.'

'Am I a sorry case, then? You wanted a charity to support and I'm it?'

'No!' She scowled, pressing her hands against the dashboard and leaning back into her seat. 'Seeing you in French every day, pretending as if nobody notices that you get pushed ar-'

'Nobody does notice!' he snapped, anger building up inside him.

She shook her head, lifting her hand to place on his shoulder but drawing away before it made contact. 'I noticed.'

Blaine looked straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact with her as they pulled up at the school. He drove the car into his parking lot and climbed out, removing his bag and locking the doors as soon as Kathryn had shut hers. He pulled his glasses off his face, shoving them into his bag.

'Why don't you wear them at school?'

'I only need them for reading,' he said curtly.

'You wore them on the drive, but you don't wear them in class.'

She was watching him with her thoughtful, curious eyes as he stepped towards the main building. 'You're scared their going to break them, aren't you?'

He stopped in his tracks, turning to face her. 'I don't care what they think,' he muttered. But even he knew it wasn't true. Unlike his parents, unlike his brother and unlike all the damn teachers at Westerville High, this one girl who had spoken to him for the first time the day before could see through him as if he was made of broken, fragile glass. And it terrified him.

'I'll see you in class,' he muttered and turned away.

* * *

><p>The first part of his day was uneventful. French and English were breezy enough, despite the fact that he'd made sure to position himself as far away from Kathryn during the former as was politely possible.<p>

She spent the lesson watching him, he knew it. He had felt her eyes on him, but just continued to stare resolutely at the blackboard, pretending she didn't exist.

Algebra was its usual boring self, but at least at this point of the day there was no chance for anyone to sneak up on him and throw him into lockers, or push him into a toilet, or lock him in the janitor's closet.

It was morning break he had to worry about.

Stepping into the quad, he lifted his bag, repositioning it on his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a collection of footballers, leaning against the railing near the toilets and he skirted away from them, around one of the far tables. The library was only on the other side of the quad. He just had to get there.

'Blaine!'

_Kathryn. _Her footsteps were loud and she landed beside him with a slight jump. 'What was up this morning?' It was like she'd completely forgotten about their conversation.

'Can you just _go away?' _

'No.' She kept pace with him as he hurried towards the safety of the library. He'd decided to go inside today. None of the jocks considered themselves low enough to enter into a place where they might be confronted with _books. _

The frosted glass door parted beneath his touch, but Kathryn was on his tail and she slipped in behind him.

'What's your problem today, Blaine?'

He spun around, gritting his teeth. 'Can you _not _address me in public? I like to keep a low profile.'

'You don't have to stand up to them on your own,' she whispered.

'My plan was actually to avoid them at all costs, not stand up to them. But I'm glad I have your support if ever I grow some heterosexual hormones like they want me to.'

'So you are!'

'So I am _what?' _

She bit her lip, dropping her bag in the foyer. He did the same and continued into the main library, lowering his voice. 'What have you heard about me?'

Kathryn held out a hand, motioning for him to sit down on the couches bordering the shelves. He sat cautiously.

'Blaine, you do know that there's things written about you on the locker room walls, right? And not just the boys locker room, because I sure wouldn't go in there with the smell.'

Blaine let himself nod.

'And you know that they're not very nice things?'

'Yeah.'

Kathryn frowned, looking at her feet carefully as if counting the threads in her laces. 'What happened in the locker room finals week of last year?'

Blaine paled, looking anywhere but the girls face. 'It was nothing.'

'If it's written everywhere, Blaine, it's not_ nothing!_' She bit her lip, tugging it between her teeth gently. 'I know you feel like you don't know me, but I want to be here for you, Blaine. I want to hear it from your point of view.'

He carded a hand through his curls roughly and sighed. 'It was a Friday afternoon...'


	4. Chapter 3

**So, yesterday I was a little sick and stayed away from all other forms of human life (which I am also doing today, coincidentally) and this little chapter made its way into the world. I feel like a proud parent, because I was so worried about this, but flossticle read it over for me and i think her reaction was pretty positive, so I hope you like it too! :D**

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><p><strong>Three<strong>

'Hey, Jeremy!' Blaine called, lifting his shoulder bag higher and running to catch up to his friend.

'Oh, hey, Blaine.' The boy turned around, grinning and shot Blaine a nod. 'Ready for gym? This could get nasty.'

'Why?' Blaine asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Didn't you hear? Miss Laurens is away because of "personal reasons" and they've brought in a sub who apparently is _really _bitchy. And you know what we're doing this week right?' Blaine shook his head. Jeremy's voice was hushed when he continued. '_Fitness tests.' _

Blaine groaned jokingly and pushed open the door of the locker room. Some of the varsity footballers were already inside, changing for their training session. They were all much taller and considerably more attractive than the other freshmen in Blaine's class.

_Don't look. Things will only be bad if you look, Blaine._

He pulled his gym uniform from the locker and dumped his schoolbag inside, before pulling off his shirt and tossing it on top. He really needed to take his gym shirt home and clean it.

'Hey, Blaine?' Jeremy asked, and he turned around to face him. 'Have you got a spare pair of-'

And then Blaine couldn't remember another word. Because Mark Lyons, senior, quarterback and all round _hunk _had just taken off his shirt.

'Blaine!' Jeremy called again, trying to get his attention, but he was too absorbed in the smooth expanse of skin that was Mark Lyon's upper chest and the hard indentations of his abs. 'Blaine!'

'What?' he said finally, shaking his head to distil the image as Mark pulled on his shoulder pads.

'Do you have a spare pair of socks?' Jeremy's voice was suddenly much lower and his eyes were darting around the room, never focusing on one thing, and especially not on Blaine.

'Yeah, sure,' he said, turning towards his locker. He reached in and pulled out a pair of socks that had been sitting in the bottom since the start of the year, on his mothers' insistence. 'Here you go, Je-'

'Blaine?' a deep voice asked. He turned around, coming face to face with the one person that made his heart race. He was the most popular guy in school. All the girls (and Blaine) wanted to date him, and all the boys wanted to be him.

Blaine was a freshman, he was Chaz Anderson's little brother, a nobody! Bottom of the social food chain! And yet here he was... Mark Lyons talking to him.

'What's your last name, Blaine?'

'A- Anderson.' _Mark Lyons is talking to me, _he thought, his brain short circuiting.

'Blaine Anderson,' he murmured softly, mulling it over under his breath. 'Are you gay, Blaine?'

Blaine nodded mutely, not daring to speak, not daring to ruin this perfect moment that must certainly be a dream.

'Write down your number,' Mark Lyons said, holding out his hand. 'I want to call you sometime.' There was a catcall from one of the other seniors but Mark waved them off with his free hand.

Blaine took the one offered to him gingerly, scrawling his number on it with shaking fingers.

'There,' he whispered, checking it over in case he missed a digit.

'Thank you, Blaine,' Mark Lyons said, and then he was gone, grabbing a football from the pile near the door and heading out on to the field.

'Blaine are you _insane?' _Jeremy was tying his shoelaces hurriedly as the last of their classmates filed out of the locker room, many whispering under their breaths.

'What?' he asked, confused.

'You just gave your number to Mark Lyons! Please, tell me you were joking when you said you were gay, Blaine.'

Blaine only shook his head. If this was a dream, he might as well be truthful about it.

'You're a freak, Blaine.'

And that's when he woke up. That's when he realised he _wasn't _dreaming. Because in his dream, Jeremy would never call him a freak.

What had he _done_?

* * *

><p>It was barely an hour later when the whispers truly started. It was only quiet at first; the odd person would turn in the hallway as Blaine walked past on his way to his locker or his next class. By lunchtime, a few jocks and cheerleaders had stopped to point and whisper to their friends.<p>

And then, while Blaine was on his way to Political Science, his brother had stopped him, pushing him against the wall.

'What did you _do, _Blaine?' he hissed, shaking his shoulders. 'I got asked by Mark if you really _were _gay at lunchtime. What am I supposed to reply to that? "Yeah, he's a pretty cool kid?" I'm the brother of a fag! Did you consider what this would do to my reputation before you forced your number on _Mark Lyons.'_

'He- he asked for it.'

Chaz scowled. 'Just because _you _like staring at other guys, doesn't mean you have a right to kid yourself that normal people return your feelings.'

Blaine paled. 'I didn't- he wanted-'

'You stay away from Mark Lyons, okay? He doesn't like fags, and he never will.'

'Chaz!'

But his brother was shoving him away and storming off down the corridor.

* * *

><p>That night, Blaine didn't talk. His mother asked him what was wrong, but he only shrugged and ate his dinner in silence. He didn't look at Chaz, and as soon as the meal was over, he crept up the stairs to his room.<p>

'Shit.' He slammed his fist into his pillow and tried to stop himself from crying, but the tears fell from his eyes unbidden. 'Stop being a girl, Blaine,' he muttered to himself. 'It won't help.'

But there was nothing he could do. All he felt was anger at himself: for thinking that Mark Lyons was actually interested in him, for letting his emotions get the better of him, for letting himself get caught up in the dream.

There was a ring, and he glanced at his cell phone. The window was lit up with an unknown number and he reached for it. _Mark. _

'Hello?'

There was only one word replied before the line went dead.

'Fag.'

* * *

><p><strong>So if you didn't figure it out, which I hope you did, this chapter is a flashback chapter :D Next chapter will be back to "current" time with Kathryn and Blaine back in the library :) I hope you're enjoying this story and thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! You make my day lovely! :D<strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**Okay, so this is the newest chapter :) I don't particularly like it, but flossticle said she did, so I guess thats okay :) Hopefully the next one won't take too long. i have more of an idea as to where Im going now, so thats a positive :) Feel free to send reviews and let me know what you think :)**

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><p><strong>Four<strong>

'That's horrible.' Kathryn reached out, pressing a hand against Blaine's shoulder. He flinched, but didn't pull away. 'If it's any consolation, no one knows what really happened.'

'It's not actually.' He frowned, carefully analysing his shoes. 'They know enough.'

'You can't let them get to you, Blaine! They're idiots!'

'They rule our social hierarchy! If the popular kids treat you like dirt...?' he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders. 'There's nothing I can do about it, Kathryn.'

She squeezed his arm. 'You have to be strong.'

But Blaine only shook his head and stood up, letting Kathryn's hand drop to her lap. 'I can't. Not when they spend every waking moment doing the best they can to torture me.'

'Is it really that bad?'

He bit his lip and nodded, stepping behind one of the shelves and searching it for something to draw his mind of them. Off the taunts and the whispers. On the other side of the shelf, Kathryn stood up, eyeing him carefully.

'And they don't even know for sure,' he whispered. 'They're only guessing. It would be that much worse if I came out about it.'

* * *

><p>The rest of the day, Blaine kept to himself. During his classes, he tried his hardest to keep his eyes on the board or the teacher, never looking either way at any of his classmates. At lunch, he crept out into the parking lot and sat in his car, eyeing the main building in his review mirror as he ate.<p>

And as soon as the final bell rang, he was out the door and sliding back into his car. He pulled his glasses from the glove box and pulled them on, backing out of the parking lot and towards the highway.

He felt like he had revealed his most inner secrets to someone, and they'd stomped all over them. And maybe he had, except Kathryn hadn't done any stomping. She'd actually been rather great about it. She hadn't bagged him out for admitting he was gay. She hadn't told him they were in the right to pick on him. She'd only been the supportive friend he'd needed at the time.

But it still felt wrong.

He climbed the stairs to his bedroom, ignoring the calls from his mother to tell her about his day and instead slammed the door behind him, lying down on the bed and crying like he'd promised himself he wouldn't cry.

There was a buzz from his cell and he picked it up, glancing at the screen.

**1 new message: kathryn**

He flipped the phone open, reading the message through watery eyes.

**i feel like i've offended you... can we talk? tomorrows saturday... come get coffee with me? please?**

Blaine gnawed at his lower lip, his fingers hovering over the keys.

**god, what am i doing? sure. ill pick you up at 9**

* * *

><p>'I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable.'<p>

'It's okay.' Blaine ran a thumb across his jaw, holding his coffee up to his lips to hide his face.

'No, it's not. I pushed where I shouldn't have pushed and I offered my opinion where it wasn't wanted. I should have known you'd take it badly.' She'd let down her hair and it curled gently around her shoulders, making her face look a little chubby. Her eyeliner was slightly smudged and she hadn't bothered to reapply lip balm.

'What I want to know,' Blaine said slowly, measuring each of his words as they formed. 'Is why you have such a big interest in me. Yes, I'm your charity case, I get that. But what sent you to me? You never seem to give me a straight answer, and that's what I want right now.' He frowned. 'I was honest with you, so I want you to be honest with me.'

She curled a tendril of hair around a finger and took another sip of her coffee. 'Would you believe me if I said I didn't really know?'

Blaine grit his teeth. 'Probably not.'

'Well, it's true. I'd never even heard of you before the rumours started-'

'That's not a great start to this conversation, Kathryn.'

A wan smile crossed her features. 'I know. But hear me out.' She put down her cup and held out her hand, face up on the table, for Blaine to take. He didn't. She continued as if she hadn't noticed. 'It was only when people started talking about you that I noticed you were in some of my classes. We have the same lunch and study hall, and then French. And you always looked so sad and contained. It felt like more than just a couple of rumours.'

'It's not just a couple of rumours,' Blaine said. 'It's only one, really. _Blaine Anderson is gay. _That's all there is to it.'

She bit her lip but continued. 'I wanted to learn why you were so sad, what made you look so wounded. And a part of me wants to make that look go away.'

'Why do I feel like you're professing your love for me?'

Kathryn smiled like it was a joke, but all Blaine felt was angry and confused. People didn't talk to Blaine Anderson. People _avoided _Blaine Anderson. And this girl was ruining the system that he'd managed to get used to since that horrible day at the end of Freshman year.

'I don't think I can deal with having someone like you around me at the moment,' he said cautiously, gauging her reaction. She only smiled.

'You can't push me away that easily, Blaine. I will fight to make you happy, so long as you promise to give me someone to chat to when I'm feeling down. See, its a win win.'

He didn't really see how it was a win at all for him, but he nodded and took another sip of his coffee. 'So, what does being friends with you entail?'

Kathryn shrugged her shoulders. 'Sit with me at lunch, talk to me during French. Answer my texts and when I need someone to come over and watch movies with, offer to be that person.'

Blaine nodded hesitantly. 'Fine.' The girl grinned widely and took a sip of her own coffee before leaning back in her chair and nodding silently to herself.

It looked like Blaine Anderson had found himself a new best friend. Whether he liked it or not.


	6. Chapter 5

**It's here it's here! Hooray! Sorry :/ But yes, here it is, chapter 5 of this little story (that is turning out to be not so little). The chapter is slightly shorter than most, I think, but it says quite a bit in my mind, and it needs to be here, so I hope you enjoy it!**

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><p><strong>Five<strong>

Being best friends with Kathryn Bournam was a new and complex experience for Blaine. She was pushy and conversationalist and everything she did had to be done in her way. But she was kind to him, and the conversation was turned towards him at every opportunity. It wasn't always a positive for Blaine, but if she started in on a topic he wasn't happy with, he had only to close his eyes for a moment, analysing the colours behind his eyelids, and she would reach out a hand, laying it gently on his forearm before changing the subject.

At lunch time, they sat behind the library together and she talked about her sister, or her mom who, Blaine learned, work in real estate. She'd occasionally ask him a question about his parents, or Chaz, and he would answer with something noncommittal until she moved onto the next topic.

One lunchtime however, she brought up a topic that severely breached the rules.

She'd packed two miniature quiches and two iced buns in her lunch, and she handed one of each to Blaine with a smile. 'I told mom you brought your lunch to school too and she decided to make something extra for you when she made mine.'

It was a curious gesture, but Blaine took the food with a small nod. 'Thanks,' he whispered.

'No problem.' She bit into her quiche, but her eyebrows were high up her forehead and she was watching him with a curious gaze.

'What?'

'Can I ask you something?' It was the first time she had asked before broaching a topic, and Blaine's curiosity got the better of him.

'What is it?'

'I- I wanted to know what it's like for you...'

It wasn't really a question but he bit his lip, thinking over her words. 'What _what _is like?'

'You know,' she said softly. 'Liking boys.'

And it was like something in Blaine's brain flicked, because somewhere, he had known what she meant the whole time. 'Uh-' he said, and he didn't know if he really wanted to continue the sentence, but she just nodded, letting him know that this was the most important thing to her at this moment.

With anyone else, he would have said they wanted to know so they could secretly record his words and broadcast them over the school system. But this was Kathryn, and over the month they'd known each other, the one thing he had learned for sure was that she never told anyone his secrets.

'Erm,' he muttered, mulling it over, trying to come up with the right words to explain it. Because she didn't want to know what it was like to just "like boys". She could know that from her own experience. She wanted to know what it was like to be a _boy _and like boys. 'I guess it's kind of- I don't really know, because the only guy I've ever had a crush on that wasn't, you know, a celebrity or something, outed me. And that wasn't very cool. I don't know,' he bit his lip. 'I mean, I guess it's different, because for me, I know that most of the male population would never like me back. I think I build myself up for rejection, and so I don't even consider the possibility that a guy I like could also like _me.'_

She nodded like she understood, and she pressed a hand gently against his arm. 'That must be so hard.'

He shrugged again. 'I deal with it.'

'But why should you have to? Why should people treat you so badly, just because you're a little bit different?'

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but shot her a worried look. 'Kathryn, we live in Ohio. We're not forward thinkers, we're not cultural icons. We're not LA or New York. We're little old Ohio, who doesn't like change. And accepting people like me means change.'

She blinked, momentarily stunned for words. 'How come you never talk like that normally?'

He shrugged again. 'I don't like being vocal about it, I guess. Normally, it gets me into trouble.'

'But not with me?'

He almost smiled. 'No, not with you.'

It was the first time since Blaine had come out to her that they'd talked about him being gay. It wouldn't be the last.

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><p>Their afternoon haunt was the coffee shop, and it was a solace for Blaine. It was one of the places that the jocks didn't like to hang out, because the drinks were pretty pricey and the owner liked to keep the place quiet. It was also a place he was assured not to see his parents, or his brother.<p>

The sun was setting in the sky; it was getting later and Blaine was sure that if they didn't leave soon, someone would be starting to worry.

'We better go,' he murmured to Kathryn and she nodded, picking up her second cup of the evening. 'Do you want me to drop you home, or is there someplace else you're going?'

She shrugged, something very out of place for her, and he eyed her curiously. 'What's up?'

'Nothing.'

'No, there's something wrong. You never shrug your shoulders, you always tell me directly what you want.' He grabbed her arm as they stepped through the doorway.

'Let go of me, Blaine.'

'Whoa,' he said, but he dropped his hand immediately, instead raising both above his head in a sign of innocence. 'Touchy today, Kathryn?'

'I'm just not in the mood, okay?'

'You never take that for an answer when I say it.'

She scowled, but only motioned for him to get in the car. 'I just- I don't want to go home right now, okay? Can I come round to yours for a little while? We can just hide out in your room or something.'

Blaine glanced at her, reading her face, but he could see no hidden agenda there. There were only dark circles around her eyes, which he was surprised he didn't notice before, and she'd forgotten to reapply her lipgloss.

'Sure,' he whispered. 'Whatever you need.'

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><p><strong>I'll post the next chapter, which is also back from my beta, the awesome flossticle, sometime today. If you send me reviews begging, I may be tempted to post it sooner :P But don't expect this kind of rapid succession to last :)<strong>


	7. Chapter 6

**Okay, here it is... I love you all too much to keep it away for any longer! Chapter 6! I hope you enjoy it! So, I have the next four chapters planned out, so hopefully they'll be up within the next few weeks, and then Blaine will be at Dalton, and we have some all new adventures to experience! :D Hope to see you all sticking around :) xxx**

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><p><strong>Six<strong>

The house was silent and empty when Blaine slid his key into the lock, opening the heavy door with only the slightest creak. The corridor was dark, and he flicked the light switch, motioning for Kathryn to enter behind him. She had never been in his house before, and her eyes roved the rather expensive decor appreciatively.

'Nice,' she breathed.

'I wish it wasn't so fancy,' he replied. 'Do you want anything to eat?'

Kathryn shook her head quickly and he nodded, instead motioning for her to head up the stairs towards him room. She climbed the first stair and turned to face him, holding out her hand.

She'd tried this before, never forcing, but prompting him to hold her hand. Normally, he ignored it, just continuing on his own path, but this time, something was different. He couldn't place it, but they were in his house, and she was wanting to take his hand as they walked up the stairs to his bedroom. He lifted his palm slowly, letting Kathryn make the move to securely latch them together. She smiled, although it was considerably less bright than normal, and together they made their way up the stairs.

As soon as they entered Blaine's room, he regretted not tidying up that morning. His sheets were thrown lazily back from the bed, his clothes were a matted knot next to the washing basket, and his schoolwork was piled haphazardly upon the desk.

But that wasn't what caught Kathryn's attention. 'Nice photos,' she commented, pointing to one of him and Chaz from when they were younger. It was framed and resting on a hook against his wall, beside other photos of Blaine, or Blaine and his family. They seemed happy in the photos. He wondered when that stopped being the case.

'Yeah,' he muttered noncommittally, shrugging his shoulders. Kathryn only explored further, running her fingers lightly over every inch of his room.

'It's so-' she whispered to herself after a while. 'So _Blaine.'_

'What do you expect?' he almost laughed. 'It _is _my room.'

'It's just...' she said slowly. 'I can see you in every bit of this room. I don't think my bedroom is like that.'

'Why not?' he asked, but she was shaking her head and settling herself down on his bed. She patted the mattress next to her and Blaine sat down, smoothing the sheets beneath him. 'What's going on at home?' he pressed and she turned to him, placing her hand on his thigh.

'Blaine, can I ask you something?' He knew how this was going to go. Whenever she asked for permission before asking a question, she knew she ran a risk of offending him. She was covering her bases, making sure she wasn't pushing too many boundaries. He wondered what boundary she thought she was pushing this time.

'Yes.'

'Why don't you just tell everyone? They treat you like crap anyway, how much worse can it get? And you could be proud, and walk with your head held high. You could be so much happier, just because you don't have to hide yourself away from the world. Why don't you just tell them, and let them think what they want?'

He knew it was a valid argument. He knew it. But she didn't see the way they looked at him. The way they took every opportunity to hit him, or push him into lockers, or just call him names. It wasn't his fault, no. But he wouldn't declare his sexual orientation to the whole school so that they would only have an excuse to hit him harder.

All he said, however, was, 'I don't want to give them reason to attack.'

'But maybe there's other kids at Westerville just like you, who are hiding in the closet because they're scared of the treatment they might get. Maybe if you stood up and declared yourself, other people would be inspired to do the same. And maybe there's someone that would surprise you, and you might be able to, I don't know, start something.'

'I've been there, Kathryn,' he whispered. 'I let myself get caught up in a guy, and it didn't end well. I am never doing that again.'

'He was a jerk!'

'I know you think the world is full of nice people, but it's not. Most, if not all, of the male school population are jerks. Just as most of the female population are bitches.'

She scowled, but leaned against the headboard, prodding him lightly in the hip with her toe. 'But wouldn't you like to fall in love someday? Meet someone magical and have a dream romance?'

'Sure,' he agreed through gritted teeth. 'But it's not gonna happen at Westerville High.'

She shrugged as if to say "your loss" and reached for her bag, just as her cell rang. She glanced at the caller ID for only a second before pressing it to her ear. 'Mom?' There was muffled talking on the other end of the line, but all Blaine could notice was the way her face paled instantly, all colour draining from it. Her eyes darkened perceptibly and her fingers shook.

'Are you okay?' he mouthed, reaching out to grab her hand, but she shook him off.

'What did he say?' she asked into thep hone. There was more muffled speech and then she hung up. 'I better go,' she said quickly to Blaine.

'Why? What's happened?'

Instead of answering, she stood up, picking up her bag and swinging it over her shoulder.

'Tell me.'

'I'll see you at school tomorrow, Blaine.'

'Kathryn?'

'Bye.'

And she left his bedroom and left his house. It had been a short visit, but it had left Blaine full of questions. What news did her mother give her? Why was she so shocked? And why wouldn't she answer his questions?

The next day at school however, she was back to normal, talking animatedly with everyone she came into contact with, including Blaine. She didn't bring up the phone call and neither did he, but it dwelled in the back of his mind, growing like a tumour. Something was wrong, and he wanted to know what.

It was curious, and not for the first time, Blaine found himself wondering why Kathryn Bournam was who she was.


	8. Chapter 7

**Wow, three chapters in less than 24 hours! You should be so proud of me :) This chapter is on the verge of making me cry... There's the beautifully tense moment and then... well you'll see :P I hope you enjoy it though :D And the next chapter is definitely going to make me cry, so be prepared for that :) I'm gonna bawl my eyes out! See you soon! And please review, tell me what you think! I love your feedback!**

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><p><em><strong>Seven<strong>_

It was almost three weeks later when Kathryn passed Blaine a note during French. It was written on a loose piece of note paper that she'd been doodling on, and it was now decorated with flowers and swirly patterns. He unfolded it gingerly and read the words.

_There's a park down near my place… Come play on the swings on the weekend? Not fun without someone else crazy to join and no one else ever wants to come to a park with me._

He glanced up at her smiling face and nodded once, folding the paper again and placing it inside his pencil case.

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><p>It was late morning when Blaine arrived at the park she'd mentioned. She was already hanging from the swings, clinging to the upper bar with her hands and trying to haul herself up.<p>

'Hey,' he called out, and she let go, landing daintily on her feet.

'Hey, yourself. Like the park?' She motioned around herself with her hands, grinning broadly as he approached her. There was an energy about her that had been missing recently, a kind of buzz that diffused across the air and onto Blaine's skin. He felt excited at the prospect of running like a young child through this park, and it was an unfamiliar feeling to him.

'Yes,' he whispered gently as his eyes roved the landscape. 'Very much.'

'Good.' There was a grin in her voice and she held out a hand for him to take. 'I thought you might.' He grasped it quickly and held it tight against his side.

'So, what are we planning on doing here?' he asked. He hadn't been at a park since he was eight, when it was still cool to spend hours on the swing just trying to get as high as you can. When it was still cool to try to climb the slide and hang upside down from the monkey bars until all the blood rushed to your head and you nearly fainted.

'I thought,' she said slowly, 'that you'd appreciate the beauty of a childhood place as much as I do.' She gave him a sideward glance. 'And, of course, no one can ever pass up an opportunity to run around and be crazy, especially not someone as crazy as me.'

He grinned and she returned it. Never was she false, but in this moment, Blaine felt as if he was seeing the absolutely real Kathryn. And if he admitted it to himself, he kind of loved her.

Not in the romantic way, of course, but there was something about her that drew him in closer, wanting to know as much about her as possible. He enjoyed spending time with her, and when she smiled, he felt as if he could smile too. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.

Suddenly, she tugged his hand, pulling him towards the slide, only releasing it to drag him up the steps. Her feet hit the plastic and she slid down standing up, squealing as she stumbled over the end. Blaine followed her, wrapping his arms around her waist to stop from toppling her.

And like that they were laughing loudly, leaning against each other for support. Blaine couldn't remember laughing like that in a long time.

'Come on,' Kathryn said finally between bursts of laughter. 'I want to sit on top of the monkey bars! I haven't done that since I was in elementary school.' Her feet kicked up bark as she sped to the platform, climbing it swiftly. Blaine followed suit and soon they were sitting facing each other, looking out onto the park.

'Blaine,' she whispered slowly, and her hand reached out for his. He let her take it without flinching. 'Do you believe in true love?'

He blinked, thinking it over. 'Yes,' he said after a small pause. 'Yes, I do.' He didn't know what made him say it, but he knew immediately that it was true. He believed in people being made for each other, that two people were meant to have each other in their lives. But it was something more than that. 'But it doesn't have to be romantic,' he said. 'And you can have more than one true love. I think it means that two people are so suited to each other and they complement each other so perfectly that their relationship will be able to surpass everything.' He squeezed her hand lightly. 'But that doesn't mean they have to be in love with each other sexually.'

Kathryn raised an eyebrow, studying Blaine, but he only let a small laugh escape his lips. 'Like if you didn't keep trying to convince me to come out, I'd say you're one of my true loves. I love you, Kathryn. Even if you're a pain in the ass.' He grinned, and she returned it. 'But I definitely don't want to kiss you.'

It was the first time he'd ever spoken positively of his friendship with Kathryn. But it was true, and he realised it now. He enjoyed spending time with her, worried about her when she fell quiet, and took his time out to make her laugh. He loved her.

'I think that's a good way to think about it,' she whispered softly. And then she reached across the void between them, tugging his shoulders towards her to hug him.

For Blaine, the contact was unexpected, but he relaxed into it. It felt right, Kathryn hugging him. It was real and there.

And then it wasn't.

Her grasp loosened and she slid from the bar, her head hitting the metal with a loud clang as she fell. Her shoulders hit the ground first, and Blaine was screaming, but there was nothing he could do. He only grabbed his phone from his pocket, dialled 911, and climbed down quickly to hold her hand, check her pulse, and wait.


	9. Chapter 8

**I've actually had this sitting on my computer for a couple of days but I just kept getting distracted! I blame tumblr... it's very distracting! **

**But hopefully, you like this sweet chapter... I particularly enjoyed writing this one... It did make me bawl my eyes out though, so hopefully its not too distressing for any of you...**

**And feel free to tell me what you think... Reviews make my day, even when they're negative...**

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><p><strong>Eight<strong>

Hushed voices filled the corridors. They seemed to whisper about him, never to him, never explaining what he wanted to know... what he _needed _to know.

Would she be okay? Was it his fault? Was there something he could have done? Were there warning signs he should have read?

_Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease. _That's what the doctors were calling it. He could hear them whispering as they passed his chair, talking among themselves as they left her room.

'Can I see her?' Blaine tried to whisper, but no one replied. 'Can I talk to her? What's wrong with her? Will she survive?' So many questions that no one would answer.

He felt like he had been there for hours, sitting vigil on the hard plastic chair outside her room. When the ambulance had first arrived at the park and he'd driven with her towards the hospital, they'd asked him all the normal questions.

'What's her name?'

'Kathryn Bournam.'

'How old is she?'

'15. But she's a soph-'

'Are there any medical conditions we should know about?'

'I don't know. I've never even been to her house. She won't tell me about herself, she's always talking about-'

'Do you know how to contact her parents?'

'I can check her cell.'

They handed him the phone and he found the number as they worked on her, supplying her with oxygen and using towelettes to stem the blood trickling from the cut in her head. Her heart rate was steady, but she was still unconscious. Blaine felt like _he _was about to faint.

'Here it is,' he said, holding it out to one of the paramedics. 'Do you want me to call them?'

'No,' the man said and took the phone from his hand. 'We'll do it.' He pressed the phone to his ear. 'What's your name, son?'

'Blaine,' he whispered. 'Blaine Anderson.'

Now he just sat on the chair, hoping against hope that Kathryn was alright.

'Mr Anderson?' The woman's voice was soft and he turned his head to find himself face to face with one of the nurses.

'Yeah?' he asked.

'I know you've been sitting here a while and you probably want to go home-' He shook his head quickly, but the woman was already continuing. 'But she's awake and wants to see you.'

Blaine stood up, taking a deep breath and nodded. 'Yeah. I want to see her.'

'Be warned, she is very weak. Don't stress her out to much, okay, hun?'

He nodded again and stepped into the room, his eyes searching out Kathryn's. She was lying against the pillow, her lips curved into a frown but when she saw him she smiled. She was connected to oxygen and heart rate monitors, and her head was bandaged, but otherwise she seemed fine.

'Hey,' he breathed.

'Hey, you.'

He sat down gingerly on the side of her bed, taking her hand between both of his. 'How are you feeling? I feel awful? Are you okay? You seem fine, why aren't they letting you go home?'

Kathryn smiled sadly. For some reason it stung Blaine more than all the waiting. 'Didn't they tell you, Blaine? I'm sick.'

He shook his head. 'No, you just fell.'

'I know you heard them. They were talking about it, and you were just outside the door. You must have have heard. Blaine, I have autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease.' She squeezed his hand. 'I've had it since I was born, it's just gotten worse recently.'

'But you seem fine!' Blaine tried to protest, but she shook her head softly.

'I've known for about two months now that I was going to die. It was just a matter of when. I was on medication that was supposed to hold it off, plus dialysis every week.' She bit her lip, teasing the flesh between her teeth. 'And then last week, when I got the phone call from my mom?'

He nodded and she continued. 'That was to tell me the medication wasn't working. They were taking me off it.'

Blaine felt like his world was falling apart. Two months, that's all he'd had with her. They'd only been friends for such a short space of time, and-

'You said two months?'

'What?'

He repeated himself, slower this time. 'You said you've known for two months that you are going to die.'

She nodded. 'Yeah.'

'It was two months ago that you sat with me for the first time at lunch, that first day.'

The beeping that had been constant in the background suddenly became faster and he glanced towards the heart rate monitor. 'Kathryn?'

'Sorry,' she whispered. 'I should have told you this earlier.'

'Told me what?' he asked.

Kathryn's lips curled into the slightest of smiles and she shuffled up higher on the bed, crossing her legs in front of her. 'Sit with me,' she said.

Blaine drew up his own feet and positioned himself opposite her.

'I didn't know how to tell you,' she whispered, leaning her sweaty forehead against his. 'I was scared you'd think I was horrible, or too sick to hang around.' He shook his head but she continued, holding his hand close against her chest. 'I just wanted to make a difference to someone, Blaine. I wanted to make my mark on the world before I was lost forever.'

'So-' he stuttered. 'You became friends with me?'

She nodded. 'I could see you were having it tough, and I'd heard the rumours. You looked like you needed a friend, and I wanted to be that friend. And then when I saw how hard it was for you, I realised what I could do. I could help you to find yourself. I could help you come out.'

Blaine snorted, but she only pressed his hand closer to her chest more firmly and smiled. 'You're already more confident.'

He bit his lip, drawing the skin between his teeth. 'Being able to hang out with a girl without being shoved into a locker or bashed against a wall isn't confidence,' he whispered. 'That's just normal.'

Kathryn didn't comment, but when she spoke, her eyes were sad and heavy. 'Blaine,' she said slowly. 'I am going to die. I know I am. I think I've kind of known all my life, I just didn't know when.' She paused, letting her thumb run the length of the back of his hand. 'But I want to see you walk proud down the corridors of Westerville before I do.'

'What do you want me to do, Kathryn?' Blaine asked, shaking his head. 'I can't just turn up to school and yell out "Hey, guess what? You're right, I'm gay!"'

She smiled. 'Why not?'

'Because- because it's _madness!'_

She took a deep breath and the tank of oxygen beside her head hissed. 'I'm going to come to school tomorrow, okay? I'm going to get them to let me out, and I'm going to come to school to see you come out to the whole of Westerville High.'

'I- I can't.'

'Yes,' she replied. 'You can.' She squeezed his hand once more. 'And promise me something else, Blaine.'

'Can I do it instead?'

'No.' She grinned. 'Come to the Sadie Hawkins dance with me. I know you're not into school events, but if I'm not going to get my prom, I have to at least get one school dance.' She cocked her head to the side, eyeing him carefully. 'And you're my true love, Blaine Anderson.'

He laughed, but it felt too wrong, contrasted against the metal and white of the hospital surrounds. He stopped quickly. 'I'll go to the dance with you,' he bargained. 'If you promise me that you won't die.'

'That's not really something that's in my control,' she countered, but there was the ghost of a smile lingering around her lips as if she found the whole concept amusing. Blaine couldn't think of anything more serious.

'You have strength,' he whispered. 'You can _force _yourself to pull through.'

She rolled her tongue around her mouth, thinking. 'If you come with me to the Sadie Hawkins dance, and come out to the school population, I will make sure I don't die.'

Somewhere in him, Blaine knew it was an empty promise, but he nodded despite himself. He disentangled his hand from her grasp and held out his pinkie for her to shake.

'It's a deal,' he said.


	10. Chapter 9

**Finally, it's here! Aren't you proud of me :) Hopefully the next chapter won't be too far in the works... And then we'll be moving onto the... funner part of the story :p So let me know what you think :)**

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><p><strong>Nine<strong>

Kathryn Bournam died that night, not long after midnight. The doctors said it was expected, that with her condition, she'd been lucky just to survive the earliest parts of her childhood. She was a miracle case for the disease, but now it was her time.

The funeral was set for the next week, but no one told Blaine. Her body was to be cremated, but no one told Blaine. The only notification he received of her passing was a call from her parents the next morning before school, thanking him for getting her to the hospital, but unfortunately she didn't make it.

It was like she wasn't his only friend, that he wasn't her closest. It was like he had just happened to be at the right place at the right time, that she hadn't made him promise, that she hadn't promised him…

Blaine tried to shut himself in his room. He curled up on his bed and cried, but as his mother left for work, she pulled him by the arm and dressed him, and dropped him off at school. He was angry, and he felt like yelling and screaming until the buildings collapsed, but his mother only squeezed his hand tightly between both of hers and whispered, 'Do you think she wanted to see you like this?'

It was enough for Blaine, and he trudged late into French, plastering a look of indifference upon his face while inside he felt like crying. Her seat was irrevocably empty, and the teacher shot him an apologetic look. He wished she wouldn't. He didn't want her apologies. He wanted Kathryn.

After class, he approached his locker, turning his combination with shaky fingers. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and he realised: he hadn't taken them off before going to class. He hadn't hid them in his glove box. He hadn't even brought his own car to school.

'Hey, fag!'

The body slammed into him, pressing him tight against the hard metal of the locker. The half open lock cut into his shoulder. The weight didn't alleviate, and he kicked out at the body, aiming for the shins. There was a hiss from his attacker, but he didn't step away. He only ground his shoulder harder, pushing the air from Blaine's lungs.

'Let go of me,' he breathed, and the weight pulled away.

'What did you say?'

'I said "Let go of me".'

'Are you talking back to me, fag?'

Blaine stood his ground, smoothing down his shirt a little and looking up into the eyes of his attacker. Behind the strong façade, there was a hint of fear. 'Yeah, I am. And it's spelt G. A. Y. And I'm proud to be it. Better than being you who can't even lift his own knuckles higher than his knees.'

'What did you say?' The bully's voice was hard, but it was starting to waver. For Blaine it felt like an injection of adrenalin, of strength, of courage.

'Oh, deaf too, are you?' he said, turning his back on the bully to open his locker and pull out his lunch bag. 'Because most people are at least able to hear when I insult them.'

He didn't know what was coming into him. There was no reason to be fighting back. He'd never fought back in his life. It was easier to let them think what they want, be a silent pillar of bravery and not give them the pleasure of seeing you lose. But now, all he wanted to do was snap back and stand up for himself.

He'd promised Kathryn he would come out to the whole school. Well, he was going to.

'Did you say you actually are gay?'

'Yeah,' he said, raising his voice so people turned to stare. 'I'm gay. I like boys. I don't find women in the least attractive and I once had a crush on Mark Lyons. You think I do now?' He laughed, shutting his locker behind him and lifting his bag higher onto his shoulder. 'No. Freaking. Way.'

And he stepped past the footballer, holding his head high against the staring faces. He was almost at the door when he heard a cheer and a hand was patting his back.

'Hey, good job.'

'Those assholes need someone to stand up to them once in a while.'

'You've got guts, kid.'

The voices were whispered, hushed, and Blaine wasn't quite sure who they belonged to. He was sure this was on purpose. Anonymity was your best defence against the jocks.

'Thanks,' he whispered in return.

He was halfway towards the library, just past the quad, when a hand reached out and stopped him. The boy on the end of it was tall, with short cropped blonde hair, and he was wearing bright purple gloves in contrast with his black leather trench coat. 'Hi,' he said, shooting Blaine a smile. His teeth were bright and white. 'My name's Henry. Henry Bales.' He shook Blaine's hand without permission and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, leading him towards the library.

'Hi.'

'How are you doing? I just heard you declared your sexuality to all of C corridor because Jensen Carroll pushed you into a locker. Wow, I'd never be able to do that. I told my sociology class I was gay when they decided that all homosexuals should be culled.' He frowned to himself but carried on hardly taking a breath. 'I used to have some sway in that classroom.' He dropped his shoulder bag in the library foyer and motioned for Blaine to do the same before continuing. 'You know what? You and I should go the Sadie Hawkins dance together.'

And just like that, all Blaine's adrenalin slipped from his body and he felt on the verge of tears again. He sniffed once before replying. 'I'm not going.'

'Why not? It's the Sadie Hawkins! Girls ask guys, so I'll take the role of the girl and ask you. Come with me to the dance.'

Blaine shrugged, trying to remove Henry Bales from around his shoulders. 'I've been asked already, but I can't make it that night.'

'Is it because you were asked by a girl? Because I guess that would be rude if you turned down a girl and made an excuse and then turned up with a guy. I can see why you wouldn't do that.'

Blaine scowled. 'No. I could go when she asked me. I just can't go now.'

'Why not?'

In some ways, Henry Bales' persistent nature reminded Blaine of Kathryn. But it wasn't affectionate. It was overwhelming and overbearing, and slightly intimidating.

'I can't go because the girl I was supposed to go with died last night? Okay!'

'Whoa.' Henry Bales held up both palms, halting Blaine in his tracks. 'Okay, that's a good excuse.'

'I thought so.' It was a snappy reply, but he felt snappy, and especially now, especially after telling the whole of C corridor that he was gay, he wasn't prepared to hold anything in. He didn't think he _could._

_'_Okay,' Henry whispered, leaning closer to Blaine, holding him to the spot he was now desperately trying to vacate. His hands gripped the young boy's shoulders, securing him. 'Okay, we won't worry about the dance. I just thought- I just thought it would be a way to show the student body that it doesn't mean anything if you're gay. We'd just be like any straight couple going to the dance as friends.' He frowned slightly. 'I mean, if you only want to go as friends, that is.'

Blaine pursed his lips, rocking on his heel slightly. The adrenalin still pulsed through his veins, burning hot and red. 'I-' He bit his lip. 'Maybe as friends?'

Henry only released his arms and smiled. 'I'll pick you up.'

'Isn't that the guy's role?'

The boy grinned wider as he picked up his bag and stepped off towards his own destination. 'I'm a guy too, remember!'


End file.
